The Temperance in the Joy
by Animus et Anima
Summary: Brennan arrives at the Jeffersonian, expecting a normal day, but instead finds that everything has changed- including her identity. This must be some weird dream, or is it? Rated T for language in later chapters  and because I'm paranoid .
1. Chapter 1

**Hi everyone! So, I've been playing with this idea for months, but have only really started working on it in the past few weeks. Also, it's kind of the opposite of my last story (Memory in the Dreams). It takes place after Booth and Hannah have broken up, but that's about the only time restraint. **

**Anyway, I don't own anything. It all belongs to all the producers and writers.

* * *

**

"Damn it," Brennan swore. Nothing was going right this morning. Her alarm had not gone off causing her to be running about thirty minutes late. She also noticed that her apartment seemed different, but had decided to ignore it since she was already tardy for work; but part of her wondered if there was something missing. And then, she seemed to be hitting every possible red light on her way to the lab. And to top it all off, she had a pounding headache which she found to be irritating.

Her mind wasn't on any of that, though. For some reason her mind had focused on her relationship with a certain FBI agent. See, Brennan had come to a realization while in Indonesia so many months ago. She had made a mistake the year prior when she rejected Booth's offer, and was willing to admit it… to anyone she didn't know or have a connection to. One thing that had made Brennan realize that she wanted to pursue a romantic relationship with Booth was the fact that Booth was already the standard she compared all men to. That had been unexpectedly obvious to her when another doctor in Indonesia, Dr. Todd Yates, continuously flirted with her. Seven years prior, Brennan would have accepted his request and satisfied her biological urges (something she had not done in far too long), but while there she couldn't help noticing he wasn't as symmetrical as Booth nor was he as tall or well- defined. His social skills were average and most of his jokes made very little sense to Brennan. He was academically more intelligent Booth, but understood less pop culture than Brennan did- which surprised her a great deal. The seven months apart made her realize that how much of her life Booth was involved in, and she thought that she should inform him when they met at the coffee cart when they both got back. However, he had actually moved on as he said he would after her rejection. He was in an intimate relationship with Hannah, and there was no way Brennan was going to ruin another relationship of his. But then they broke up, and Booth made it very clear that he was done with romantic relationships. He basically redrew the line Brennan thought had disappeared years ago.

Brennan finally reached the Jeffersonian after what seemed like hours, though it had only been twenty minutes or so. She was slightly relieved to be in her lab. She knew that between her and Booth, the murderers would be caught and convinced; it brought a smile to her face. But she and Booth didn't have any cases right now, so it would be good to work in bone storage again which was her true passion.

Brennan entered her home away from home, and felt that something was not as she left it the day prior. However, she assumed that it was due to her obnoxious headache, and continued back to her office. At least, until she was stopped by a security guard.

"Sorry, ma'am, personnel only allowed back here."

"I **am** personnel." Brennan tried to figure out how this guard didn't know who she was. She would have understood if she hadn't recognized him, but she remembered seeing him before she left for the Maluku Islands and every day since she returned. And she was not one to remember faces. (It had taken her meeting Cam three times before remembering her name.)

"I'm sorry, I know what every employee looks like, and I've never seen you before. Do you have an appointment with someone?"

"No, I work-" Brennan was cut off by a squeal she recognized as Daisy Wick. Brennan had hoped that she would calm down after several years of working in the lab. And she had calmed down to some degree, but not as much as the doctor would have liked. She was still skilled and over talkative, but at least she was past the insane security guard and might be able to help Brennan get by.

"What are you doing here?" Daisy yelled as she ran up to Brennan and flung her arms around her.

"What are you screaming, Ms. Wick?" Brennan asked as she tried to escape the grad students grasp.

"I thought you said you were going to Chicago! And you were going back to teach at Northwestern, and-"

Brennan cut her off. "What do you mean I was going to teach at Northwestern? I was planning on coming here today." She always came to the lab on Fridays unless she was undercover with Booth or had some family matters to attend to.

"You were?" Now Daisy looked surprised, which confused Brennan.

"Never mind," Brennan told the younger woman. She didn't want to deal with Ms. Wick now, since her head pain had yet to dissipate. "Security won't let me through."

"George, she's okay to go in." The security guard nodded, and Daisy escorted Brennan back to the lab.

"So, do you have a meeting with Dr. Saroyan?" Daisy asked as they walked back.

"No, but I'll let her know I'm here."

Daisy stopped dead in her tracks. At Brennan's confused glance, Daisy rejoined her and said, "It's not necessary, I guess. So, you're seeing Dr. Goodman?"

"No, I haven't had a need to see him in several months."

"You've met Dr. Goodman? I've been working here since two years before the dig, and I've never met him! What did you talk to him about?"

"Multiple things. Usually my job. Why are you so surprised I've spoken with Goodman before?"

"Because half the people who work here haven't met him. Were you applying for a job here?"

"I don't understand," Brennan answered. Of course she applied for a job here at some point, why was Ms. Wick so surprised by this? She might be obnoxious, but she was a smart woman and should be able to figure out these answers on her own. Therefore, this was a joke, right?

"Have you ever tried to get a job at the Jeffersonian?"

"Of course. Ms. Wick, why would you even ask me that?"

"Well, I didn't know there were a lot of people on the dig who weren't very familiar with the Jeffersonian. It wasn't that weird of a question. And why are you calling me Ms. Wick? I told from the time we met to call me Daisy."

"And yet, I never have." Brennan remembered Daisy telling her that multiple times over the past couple of years, and how she ignored the request every time. However, Daisy just began to laugh.

"Very funny, Joy."

* * *

**So, what did everyone think? Good, bad, okay? I'd love to know what you guys think. :)**

**Also, would anyone be willing to beta this story for me? If you do, just PM me. **


	2. Chapter 2

**Hi everyone! I'd first like to thank Dr. H. Quinn M.D for the review. **

**Also, did anyone else love the episode last night? If you haven't seen it, you need to ASAP. :)**

**I do not own Bones; it belongs to the writers and producers.

* * *

**

Brennan stood still again. She was sure that she had just misunderstood Daisy, because it sounded like the graduate student called her 'Joy' and only four people alive that knew Brennan had ever been called that. Booth and she both failed to tell Sweets about it, so it made it that much more confusing as to how Ms. Wick knew that name, because she doubted Russ or Max would have mentioned it to her. To Brennan's knowledge, they had never even met!

"What did you call me?" Brennan finally managed to say.

"Joy. Why? Do you want me to introduce you as Dr. Keenan?" Brennan become much more confused than before, which again did not help her headache. She couldn't remember ever being referred to as Joy, except by the man who killed her mother. She had certainly never had called herself that. She had always been Temperance Brennan; sometimes she had been called Tempe, and in recent years, she had begun to respond to Bren and Bones, but never had she answered to the name Joy Keenan.

"No, it's fine," she answered as they entered the actual lab, hoping someone would be able to explain Ms. Wick's bizarre behavior.

"So, if you don't have a meeting with Dr. Goodman or Dr. Saroyan, why are you here?" Brennan had no answer for that. She was an awful liar, so this wasn't going to work out well. Luckily, though, another voice broke through the lab.

"Ms. Wick, what are you doing here?" Brennan knew that voice, but she didn't know what he was going here. The voice continued, "I thought I was working alone this week."

"I really wanted to get back to work, Dr. Stires. And I thought you might want more help in Limbo."

"Okay, you can head on down if you want." Daisy nodded and began to move towards the stairs. Brennan was about to follow her, when the man turned to her. "And what are you doing here, Joy? You usually call before coming to DC."

"Daisy and I were on the dig together so I was visiting her." Brennan was surprised how easily the lie slipped out of her mouth.

"Well, you're welcome to stay for a little while. If you want, you could help ID some bodies and then later we could grab dinner." Brennan noticed that she still had an urge to show up her old professor, as well to slap him for insulting her intelligence in court several years ago. Suddenly, a thought flashed through her head. Why was he here? The rational voice was quick to answer that. _If Goodman didn't hire you for the position, he must have hired Michael. And judging by Ms. Wick's reaction, you have never worked at the Jeffersonian. Meaning, there was probably no court case where Michael put your abilities on trial. What's going on? Even if everyone was to play a trick on me, they wouldn't include Michael. This must dream; and a extremely strange one at that._

"I'd be happy to help identify some bodies." But there was no way in hell she was going to spend time outside of the lab with him. She knew that last time they had dinner the food had gotten cold as they engaged in coitus. That wasn't going to happen again. Ever.

"Great, I have to clear it up with Cam and then I'll show you the way," he said giving her a smile. She gave one back, though she had to force hers more than usual. Brennan stood in the middle of the lab as she watched her past professor head towards Cam's office. She stood there looking for anyone she knew. Obviously Cam was still here, as was Goodman; she wondered if everyone was still where they were supposed to be. She received her answer very shortly.

"Hey, who are you?" Brennan turned around to see none other than Jack Hodgins standing in front of her.

"I'm Dr. Temp- Joy Keenan. You're still here?"

Hodgins let out a small, 'are-you-serious' laugh, before answering, "Of course, I work here. Which is more than I can say for you."

Brennan immediately realized that Hodgins' life had been altered as had hers, though he had the same job at least. "I'm going to assist Michael with identifying bodies in bone storage, as soon as he's cleared it with Dr. Saroyan."

"Okay… So, how do you know Stires?"

"He was my professor at Northwestern while I was a student."

"And you were romantic with the prick?" Brennan's facial expression showed her surprise at Hodgins personal view of Michael.

"How did you-?"

"Stires has a new girl in here every week. Figured someone like you fell into his range of women."

"Someone like me?"

"Pretty. Well educated, though maybe not all of it sticks." Brennan may be socially inept, but she had been around Hodgins long enough to know when he was insulting people.

"I have an IQ higher than yours," Brennan informed him. "And I realized some of Michael's qualities are less than ideal. You don't have to worry about Michael and I having sex. Though, I am curious as to why you referred to him as a puncture?"

"A puncture? You mean a prick? Because the guy's always given me that look that he's superior to me. He's manipulated the truth to get whatever he wants. And every girl I begin to date, he seems to find about and steal away."

"What about Angela?" Brennan asked. Though Angela had been quick to notice Michael's good looks, she would have seen how many women he went through, and how much it would distress Hodgins. Plus, they were married, and Brennan doubted that their feelings for each other had changed that dramatically in her dream. She knew how happy her friends were.

"Who's Angela?" Hodgins answered, searching his mind for any girl he had dated with that name since Stires had arrived.

Brennan opened her mouth to answer the forensic artist who had been working at the lab for seven years, but then realized that she had hired Angela. So, if in this dream she didn't work at the lab, Hodgins and Angela had never met. "There's an artist who was in Washington for a while, Angela Montenegro. I met her last time I came to visit. You two would get along." Brennan felt awkward attempting to set Angela up on a date with Hodgins (considering they were actually married and she was pregnant with his child), but decided it would be necessary. Hodgins had become less angry once she started working with her, and Brennan assumed Cam, if no one else, would be grateful for a happier Hodgins.

"Babe, you don't even know me. What makes you think I'd like this girl?"

Brennan ignored the 'babe' knowing it was a reflex for him and stated, "She's an artist. She's very kind, loyal, and affectionate, but also likes to go to clubs and dance. She-"

Hodgins grinned. "All you had to do was say she was an artist."

"But that wouldn't have been enough information about her. I still haven't given you enough knowledge for you to arrive at your own conclusion."

"Again, all you had to do was say she was an artist."

"Dr. Hodgins, you claim that you can tell your relationship will succeed with such little knowledge about Angela. How?"

Hodgins' bright blue eyes became much smaller, and he opened his mouth to say something, before closing it. He thought for another second before asking, "How did you know my name?"

"You mentioned earlier," Brennan tried to lie.

"No, I didn't. And you suck at lying. But you at least tried meaning you know something you can't say. I smell a conspiracy. What agency do you work for? CIA? NSA? Who?"

"I don't work for any government agency. Daisy mentioned the different people she worked with. You were included in that group, along with Cam and Michael. I concluded that since you weren't Michael, you were Jack Hodgins."

"Right…" the etymologist replied, again with enough suspicion, even Brennan picked up on it. Michael came in at that point.

"We have okay from my boss." Stires' told Brennan.

"Okay." Brennan immediately headed towards bone storage.

Before she was out of earshot, she heard Michael tell Hodgins, "She's way out of your league, Hodgins. Don't even try." Considering Hodgins was a better friend and not an asshole like Michael, she quickly turned around.

"Dr. Hodgins, if you can't get hold of Angela, please give me a call." She then resumed moving towards bone storage as if nothing happened; leaving one man with a huge smile on his face and another in complete shock. The latter began to chase after her.

"You know he'll call you," Stires told her.

"And if he does?"

"You'd seriously give him a chance? He's not really your type…" Brennan twirled around to face her old professor.

"Hodgins seems like a very nice man. He's smart, fairly attractive, funny, and personable. He voices his opinions, and I would like to consider him a friend. He's always going to try and help those he cares about by offering his assistance or advice. And besides, you can't possibly know what type of men I'm attracted to."

That stopped Stires in his spot. Brennan knew she would never consider Hodgins as anything more than a friend; he was married to Angela, her best friend, (even if he didn't know either of them in this dream) and she would never betray her friend like that. But at the same time, it felt good to bring Michael down a peg.

* * *

**Okay, so what did you guys think? Reviews make my day. :)**


	3. Chapter 3

**So, I know I haven't updated in a few days and I apologize. I've had a hectic weekend and then way too much homework. But anyway, here's the next chapter for anyone who's reading this...**

**I don't own anything. Bones characters, etc. belong to the producers and writers. I'm just goofing around with them. :)

* * *

**

Down in bone storage, Daisy was already working on a case. She looked up to see the two doctors coming down the steps. "Oh, good; you're here! I was just about to start on this Jane Doe."

"Ms. Wick, why don't allow Dr. Keenan a chance to show her skill?" Stires smiled. Brennan still wanted to wipe the smug grin off his face.

"I'd love to," she smiles back. She quickly began studying it to the best of her abilities anyway. "Female, late twenties to early thirties, Caucasian. Multiple stab wounds on her hands. Especially centered on her left hand. There's also an abnormal amount of burning. Also, there seems to be marks that are usually associated with stabbing. This looks like a murder. Who found the body to us?"

Daisy quickly grabbed the file and checked. "Homeland Security gave it to us in 2007."

"Why? Do you think that's that important?" Stires asked.

"Does it say why they sent it to us?"

"Too decomposed for them to ID and the fact that when they found it, it was glowing. Originally suspected to be radioactive, but proven otherwise."

"Where was the body found?" Brennan demanded. There was no way she had stumbled upon a victim that she had already identified and caught the murderer behind it. Even for her dreams, that was too easy.

"A stone house a few miles outside of Washington." So far it seemed to fit the description of Carlie Victor's case.

"I believe she was murdered. We should contact the FBI as soon as possible."

"You want to hand over a skeleton that glowed to the FBI? She'll just get lost in the bureaucratic system. Look, Joy, we've worked with them before and they wouldn't have a clue with a body that glowed. They aren't exactly the brightest bunch of people." Brennan felt her fist tightening. Michael had no right to say that about anyone at the FBI. It was bad enough that he was insulting men that she considered friends like Sweets, Andrew, and Sully, but the fact that he was offending Booth's abilities made her want to strike him that much more. He was her partner in dreams or reality, and she refused to even let her subconscious make such accusations. Before she could respond, another voice echoed through the large bone storage.

"Dr. Stires, are you really trying to find a reason not to inform the FBI that there was a murder?" Brennan looked up to see Cam standing over the three anthropologists, and let out a small smile. Once on the same floor as them, she then turned to the only man in the room. "If it's murder then we need to tell somebody, and I don't know a better agency to tell than the FBI. Do you?"

"No, but I don't want this man being lost in a stack of files, either."

"Why do you have a problem with the FBI?" Brennan asked.

"I just think they're all arrogant and pompous."

"Some of us are, as well, Dr. Stires," Cam informed him with a glare. "And the agent I know you're referring to happens to be a good friend of mine."

His face dropped and he stayed quiet a moment before answering, "I guess we should be calling the FBI then."

"Good." The pathologist then turned to Brennan for the first time. "You must be Dr. Joy Keenan. I'm Dr. Camille Saroyan, the pathologist here at the Jeffersonian."

"And the boss, apparently," Brennan added. She definitely seemed to be in charge of Michael if no one else.

"Yeah, that too. But, Dr. Keenan, did I hear you identify this guy from a picture you saw?"

"She is a woman. And I don't know what you heard, but I believe I possibly know who this woman is. Dr. Hodgins might be able to find some interesting particulates that would helpful to the case, as well."

Cam nodded, "Daisy, why don't you place tissue markers on the skull, and I'll try to find a forensic artist to draw the face."

"Okay," Daisy answered as she went to pick up the skull to do that.

"Dr. Stires, will you get Hodgins down here? I think Dr. Keenan's idea of having him look at the particulates might be helpful."

"Sure, I'll go find him." Stires' words might have been more amicable, but his tone was anything but. Once he was out of Limbo, Cam turned back to Brennan. "I must ask, Dr. Keenan, how you can ID a body that's been sitting in bone storage for four years with nothing more than a quick glance at the skeleton?"

"I remember the case from the news several years ago. The cuts to her hand indicate that she was a chef. The bones glowed because Carlie Victor was interested in sushi right before her death according to her MySpace page and was exposed to a type of aquatic bacteria that makes biomaterial glow."

"That's a whole lot of guess work without much evidence."

"You can check it, if you wish. But it is accurate."

"I've heard you're good, so I'll trust you. Now if I could only get an artist to draw the face."

"If you would like, I know an artist who is great with facial reconstructions. Though, she does not particularly like being around death."

Cam's brow furrowed. "How can a forensic artist not like working around death?"

"She got involved because she needed money and liked her colleagues."

"Can you get her in here?" Cam asked. If there was one thing the Jeffersonian Forensic Department needed, it was an artist to put a recognizable faces on the victims in bone storage.

Brennan opened her mouth to answer, but then realized that she had no clue where Angela was or if she even had the phone number as in real life (making her ponder for a second whose number she might have given Hodgins). "I can try to find her. I haven't actually spoken to her in some time, though." Brennan might have lied, but in a dream she figured no one would notice.

"Well, if you could find her contact information without too much trouble, I'd love to get it."

"It would be the least I can do for you, Dr. Saroyan. You're letting me use the Jeffersonian's equipment." It felt weird to the anthropologist to be thanking her friend for letting her work at the lab, especially since she had been there for several years before Cam.

"It's no problem, Dr. Keenan," Cam smiled. "If you'll excuse me, I have a meeting with the Board of Directors in ten minutes. They want to cut down the funding for the lab, and I have to explain how many people that will effect."

"Why not ask Hodgins to speak on the lab's behalf?" It seemed like the logical idea since he was the sole heir of the Cantilever Group and was the largest donor the Jeffersonian had.

"Dr. Hodgins and the Board of Directors… I don't think that would work out well for anyone."

"But he's the largest supporter; surely, his opinion would hold some weight."

"He's what?" By Cam's surprised look, apparently in this dream she was unaware of that fact. Brennan began to wonder how that would affect how her sleep induced vision.

"The Hodgins family that owns the Cantilever Group has been reduced to one member: Dr. Jack Hodgins. I assumed as his boss, you would know."

"No, he's never mentioned it." Cam didn't seem very surprised at the fact that Hodgins had failed to mention so great. But it worried Brennan to no end. They were like a family; they knew most of went on in each other's lives. And though it had taken over three years for her to find out about Hodgins' wealth, she didn't think that with the lab in trouble he would hide such things. But maybe in this dream they weren't a family… _No,_ she thought, _the lab cannot run as efficiently unless we act as a family._ _Is that the purpose of this dream? To show me that I am a linchpin? That I helped to create this surrogate family that we all depend on? Maybe subconsciously I believe that I this- Stop it, Brennan! You are spending too much time with Sweets._

"Well, I should get to my meeting." Cam's words cut through her internal soliloquy. "It was a pleasure meeting you, Dr. Keenan. If you ever need to a job, please don't hesitate to apply. I think most of us would like to find a reason to…" The pathologist stopped speaking midsentence, trying to figure out an appropriate ending for her thought.

So, Brennan finished it for her, "Get rid of Michael?"

Cam bit back a small laugh at the woman's bluntness. "More or less, exactly. Like I said, it's nice to meet you."

And with that Cam headed back up the stairs, leaving Brennan alone in what was usually her sanctuary. And as much as she would like to see what other old cases were lurking within Limbo, she realized she had told the fictional version of Cam she would try to persuade Angela to apply for the forensic artist position. So, like her friend before her, she traveled up the stairs and headed towards the door.

* * *

**So the next chapter is the one with Angela! ****Also I'd like to point out, that this is all through Brennan's POV- for now. And she's jumping to conclusions about what's going on... And that's all I'm going to say for now. :)**

**Please review! They make me really happy!**


	4. Chapter 4

**So, I'm happy everyone who reviewed seems to like this story. I know that this story may be a little off beat; but it's a lot of fun to write. :)**

**I do not own Bones. It belongs to the producers and writers.**

* * *

Brennan actually reached her car before realizing that she had no idea where to find Angela in her dream world. So, she went to the apartment Angela had lived in until she moved in with Hodgins. When she reached the residence, which occurred rather quickly with the absence of so much traffic, she went to knock on the door of her friend's old apartment (or was it current?). But there was no answer from the other side of the door. In fact, there was no noise whatsoever.

Brennan let out a sigh. She considered just waiting for Angela to return home, since it couldn't be too long, otherwise she would wake up without talking to Angela. But she instead came face to face with a neighbor of the artist. She only knew this because she had met him in real life.

"Excuse me," she tried to grab his attention. It worked.

"Yeah?"

"Does Angela Montenegro live here?" she asked.

"Angie? Yeah. But she works in the park on Fridays." Brennan smiled. Angela had been drawing inaccurate caricatures of people before she came to work at the lab; and apparently that was still how she was earning a wage.

Brennan thanked the neighbor and immediate went towards the park where she had recruited her best friend the first time. And she found the Angela sitting in the same spot when the anthropologist had had her to sketch a face for Gemma Arrington with some of her cartoons surrounding her. This time, however, there was no yam-nosed man. Brennan went directly towards Angela, hoping that her dream would allow Angela to remember her, unlike Hodgins, Cam, and Daisy. Her luck was not that kind, however.

"Hi, would you like a drawing done?" Angela asked, and Brennan knew in that instant that her friend had as much memory of her as the rest of the squints.

"Not of me." The artist's eyebrow rose as she looked at Brennan.

"Then of who?" Brennan heard the uncomfortable sound in her voice.

"A skull of a woman who was murdered."

Angela let out a small awkward laugh, before realizing the woman in front of her was not joking. "Wait, you're serious?"

"Yes. I was coming to offer you a job at the Jeffersonian Institute's Forensic Department. They need a forensic artist and you have the skill and creativity they need to give victims back their faces and identities."

The sounds of the park rung out around them as Angela tried to figure out if the woman from her across was one hundred percent serious. Because jobs for artist don't come out of nowhere, especially one's where the artist is approached. But if it was real, it was a better opportunity than Angela could have hoped for.

"You're really offering a job?"

"Yes. I wouldn't joke about a job offer, especially in today's economic situation." Angela eyed the woman who was either telling the truth or an extremely talented liar. "Dr. Camille Saroyan wants you to help with the most current case. If you don't believe me, you can go to the Jeffersonian and ask."

"I might do that." She was ready for her next adventure. She was over thirty now, she needed to begin to find a little stability in her life, just not too much. She was still a free spirited artist. She began to pack her things so she could go see if this woman was telling the truth or not.

Brennan smiled; her dream world was slowly beginning to look like reality. Angela had actually agreed to go to the lab to talk to Cam. "Good. Cam and Hodgins want to meet you."

"Who's Hodgins?" Brennan suddenly found herself in a position that she had been in only hours before.

"The entomologist at the lab. He's is a very determined man who has a very good metaphorical heart."

"Is he cute?" Brennan smiled. Some things about Angela would never change.

"He is fairly attractive, yes. However, I find no interest in him as anything but a friend."

"And what do you do at the Jeffersonian?"

"I'm the forensic-" she stopped herself there. In this reality, her only connection to the lab was through Michael Stires and Daisy Wick. "I'm a forensic anthropologist with several colleagues who work there. Oh, and I must advice you that the full time forensic anthropologist at the Jeffersonian may appear nice but many of his coworkers find him annoying and arrogant."

"Another good thing to know I guess," Angela stated as she finished packing up her belongings. She began walking towards the road that encircled the park. Brennan began to follow her, mostly because she had intentionally parked her car by her friend's. After about fifteen seconds of following Angela, the artist turned to her. "Are you following me?" The accusation in her voice was very clear, even to Brennan.

"No, I am parked over here, too."

"Okay."

As the continued to walk, a group of three skateboarders approached them from behind, so that neither Angela nor Brennan could see them. The two of the skaters passed by the women without any problems; however the third who was not as experienced as his friends was not able to avoid both Brennan and Angela. So he jumped off his board in hopes of a less painful impact. The skateboard however continued forward until it hit the woman.

"Ow!" Brennan had felt something hit her in the back of the leg. She turned around to see the board rolling in the opposite direction.

"You okay?" Angela asked.

"I'm fine. Someone's skateboard hit the back of my leg. I wasn't expecting it." Brennan had never been hit with a skateboard before, but she felt as though it was an extremely precise amount of pain.

"I'd be surprised if you were," Angela smirked. "Unless you're a psychic."

"No. Psychics are not-" Brennan quickly stopped herself. She didn't know if her dream Angela would be offended by her rant against psychics or not, so it would be best not to go off.

"You're one of the non believing types, aren't you?"

"I believe in what science can prove. Otherwise there is no evidence to support a theory."

"Well, whatever floats your boat," Angela laughed, as she continued her journey. "At least you know you aren't asleep."

Brennan's eyes widened, because in fact she was pretty sure she was. But it was still an odd thing for a dream character to say. "Why do you say that?"

"You know what they say; you can't get hurt when you're asleep." And Angela continued to move towards the car, while Brennan stopped in her tracks. It was true Brennan had heard that, but she had not taken that into consideration when she came to the conclusion she was asleep. But if that was the case, then that logically meant that she was not sleeping. So, this was what then? Some alternate universe where her friends didn't know her?

And then the weight of that possibility hit her. If this wasn't a dream, her friends, the people she considered family for years, had completely forgotten who she was. She didn't know what could have caused Angela, Hodgins, and Cam to all have such a memory lapse. But it scared her. How could all three of them have no recollection of her? Cam and she had battled to get along at first, but they had managed to overcome their differences and consider each other friends. And Hodgins and her were able to see eye to eye on a lot (maybe not all of his conspiracy theories, but she still had more common scientific believes with him than most with most at the lab), and they had been through hell with each other when Taffett had kidnapped them. And then there was Angela, always advising Brennan in the ways of the heart and pushing Brennan to explore the non-working side of life. Her not biologically related sister had forgotten her. That was heart-crushing to Brennan. And then there was Booth. There was no way Booth could have forgotten her; they had been through too much. He had stood by her in her darkest hour and celebrated her successes with her. Plus, he hadn't acted differently- wait, Brennan had yet to see him. His memory might have been tainted to.

In a panic state, the adrenaline began to pump through her veins as she bolted towards her car. She didn't even hear the forgotten Angela calling out to her, asking what was wrong. Only one thing was on her mind. She needed to know that Booth remembered her. He was her best friend; and part of her didn't know if she could handle him forgetting her. She was having a hard enough time dealing with everyone else forgetting her. But Booth was the person who always held her together. If he couldn't help her now, she might break again. So, as quickly as she could, Brennan got in her car and began to drive towards the Hoover building, hoping Booth would still know who she was. Otherwise, she might fall into pieces with no one to keep her from her falling.

* * *

**So, I hoped everyone liked this chapter. And Brennan finally got to the truth (that this is not a dream).**

**Also, can anyone remind me what Angela and Hodgins' baby is going to be named (either if it's a boy or girl)? Because I think I'm misremembering them.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Okay, first off thank you everyone for the reviews! You guys are amazing. Especially mindyrainbowpants and MChun- since they answered my question about Angela and Hodgins' kid's potential names. Did anyone notice that it is a the name of one of Brennan or Booth's exes (Michael like Stires and then Catherine like that marine biologist from last season) and then part of B&B name (Temperance and Joseph- Booth's middle name)? Idk, I thought that was weird.**

**Anyway, I do not own Bones, it belongs to the producers and writers.

* * *

**

Brennan made her way to the Hoover Building, but traffic had picked up as lunch grew nearer. She was only about half way to her destination when her phone began to ring. It actually surprised Brennan, since she had yet to meet anyone that she would want to have a conversation with that remembered her. But deciding it might be important, she picked it up.

"Brennan," she answered on habit. She immediately began to internally reprimanding herself. That was not her name here, for some reason.

"Uh, sorry, I think I have the wrong number," the caller said almost immediately. But despite the words, Brennan recognized the voice.

"Russ?" Brennan was slightly relieved to hear her brother's voice. "Is that you?"

"Uh, sounds like you've got me confused, too. Sorry to bother you."

Brennan knew for sure it was her brother now, but apparently he didn't realize it was her. It then hit her that if she was not Temperance, he would not be Russ. He didn't know the true her either, only the Joy Keenan that Daisy and Michael had known. One by one, Booth was becoming her only hope. "Wait, Kyle. It's me. I was expecting another call."

Okay, the last part was a lie. But was she really supposed to tell her estranged brother that she remembered everything being very different than it was in this reality?

"You going by another name now, Joy? You aren't getting into Mom and Dad's business are you?" It sounded as though it was supposed to be a joke, but Brennan did not find it very amusing. Though, it did mean her parents were still criminals in this reality. At least some things withstood the reality shift.

"No. Well, yes. A penname. I'm trying to get a book published." Brennan hoped that this sounded like the sister Kyle knew.

"Finally. You've been working on that thing for ages."

There was a moment of silence.

"Did you need something, Rus- Kyle?"

"Um, yeah. I went to visit Dad this morning. He said that you haven't been by to see him in a few months." Brennan wanted to ask where her father was, but had a suspicion that he was in some prison.

"I've been busy."

"Joy, please. Dad's really trying with us. I know that it's hard for you to let him in, especially after he and Mom left us in the system, but he wants to make it up to us."

Brennan froze for a minute. Her brother in this reality said _us_. Russ was nineteen when their parents left; but here was there a difference.

"Joy, are you still there?"

"Yes, I'm just… I guess I forget I wasn't alone in foster care."

"I took you out the moment I turned eighteen. You know that. But I can't undo the eleven years we were stuck in the system." _Eleven years in the system, _Brennan's mind comprehended. _And Russ- KYLE took me out when he was eighteen and I was fourteen. So, Mom and Dad left us when I was three and he was seven… Around the time we went from being the Keenan's to the Brennan's. So, this is most likely my life if I was never Temperance Brennan. _She sighed. She now had the why everything was different, just not the how.

"I know. I'll go visit Dad this weekend. I promise."

"Thanks. I know you don't remember much about Mom and Dad, but they cared about us. They only left to protect us from the people they worked with."

"I know," she repeated as she turned into the Hoover's parking garage. "I need to go. I have to talk to somebody."

"Right. Please, just go see Dad this weekend."

"I will," she promised before disconnecting the line. She just had to figure out where he was.

Once she parked, she just sat for a minute. Well, maybe not _just_ sat; she compartmentalized the day's events. She knew that it was not going to be a good day from the time she woke up late, but this was one of the worse days she had ever been through. Her friends didn't know her, because they had never met before. She found out that the three years of hell that she had faced as a teenager had been expanding over eleven years when she was a young child.

And now, she was about to find out if she completely alone in this nightmare of reality. She exited the car and began to move towards where Booth's office should be. Security stopped her at one point, but when she said that she had an appointment with Booth, they let her get by; though they checked to make sure she wasn't carrying a weapon. Once let their hand accidently graze her upper thigh for what Brennan thought was too long. It caused Brennan to admit to herself that she missed Booth's overprotective alpha-male qualities.

She made it into the elevator before noticing how nervous she was. She needed Booth to remember her; or at least having one of his gut feelings about her. She wasn't sure what she was going to do if he looked at her and saw nothing but a stranger. She didn't know what she was going to do if he remembered everything she did either. But she was going to find out in a few minutes.

Brennan was so lost in her thoughts that she missed the young man slip on to the elevator with her. Once the elevator began moving towards the upper floors he spoke, "Is something wrong? You look nervous."

The woman was brought back to reality and quickly turned to meet another member of her synthetic family. "Why would you think that?"

Lance Sweets just smiled. "You're playing with your hands. And you seemed lost in thought while going to talk to someone in the FBI. Who are you here to see?"

"While I don't put much credence in psychology," Brennan told him, as she had so many times before (and like when they first had this conversation, his face dropped a little in disappointment), "your assumptions are correct. I'm here to see Agent Booth."

"You know, irritability is another sign of stress. What if I was a psychologist? I could have taken offense to that." It became very evident to Brennan that Sweets was just as clueless of her reality as Angela, Cam, Hodgins, and Russ. "And you chose one of the few people in this building I haven't had the pleasure to… work with."

"You _are_ a psychologist," she told him confidently. If her current theory about what was going on was correct, then Sweets' career path would not have been affected at all. Though, she did wonder how Booth had managed to get out therapy with Sweets. _Maybe he never shot that ice cream truck_, she pondered.

"How did you know that?" Sweets asked, shocked.

Brennan's destination rang open at that moment, giving her a reason not to answer his question much to her relief. "This is my floor. Nice meeting you, Dr. Sweets."

Brennan was a few steps out of the elevator when she heard a partly panicked, puzzled psychologist call out from the elevator, "How did you know my name?" She had to hold back a smirk. Booth was right; it was fun playing head games with Sweets.

Despite the entertainment, Brennan felt her palms getting clammier with every step she took towards Booth's office. She was also almost certain that (no matter how improbable) if her heart was to beat any faster it could explode from her chest.

She came to the office of her partner, and was slightly relieved that it was his name on the door and not someone like Agent Colby's. She let out a deep sigh, having a little more confidence now. However, through the glass door she did notice that among the collection of trinkets on his desk, a certain bobble head police officer was missing just as the agent was from the office. Her confidence slipped at those observations.

Brennan decided it would be best to wait for him to wait in his office, instead out standing outside of it like a dog waiting for its master. But when she tried, she found the door was locked. Brennan was about to turn around and go wait somewhere less obvious, when a familiar voice rang from behind her.

"You aren't waiting for me, are you?"

* * *

**Cliffhanger! Sorry, I really like ending with them. :) **


	6. Chapter 6

**Hey! I got the next chapter up within twenty-four hours! And it's the one with Booth! :O**

**Anyway, I don't own Bones... blah, blah, blah. You guys know who owns this stuff.

* * *

**

Brennan smiled. She didn't have to go wait for Booth somewhere else. She turned around and saw her partner standing a few feet away. But the smile faded a little when she took in what he was wearing. His hair was gelled like it normally was, but that, the suit, and shiny shoes were all that she recognized in her partner's outfit. His tie was black and his socks a boring, solid black. Booth always had something to show he was a free-thinking rebel. But the man in front of her had no indication that made him stand out from another agent. Except Brennan knew that he was.

But she still had faith that Booth would be her savior in this world that she didn't belong to. That he had noticed the differences and knew that they were friends. But he had defied logic before. He had _died_ and come back to life, escaped the Gravedigger with the help of a ghost, and so much more. There was no reason this time could not be different, right?

"Yes, I am," Brennan answered.

Booth unlocked his door, and led her in without a word. Brennan stood in front of his desk, hoping that he would utter the moniker she had become so accustomed to over the years, as he settled in behind his desk. He turned on his computer before turning and smiling at Brennan.

"Please, sit down."

Though those three words were said in politeness, they crushed her heart. They were too polite, too professional; she needed him to tell her to take a load off or ask about something. Not to treat her as he did a victim's family member or a witness that had been cleared. She took a deep breath. She had been foolish in believing Booth would be different then the squints and Russ. But she had relied in her faith of Booth.

"Thank you."

Brennan didn't know what else to say; she had assumed that words would come to here once in this position, but so far that had not happened. So she sat in silence watching Booth watch her. But apparently, he was more concerned about why she was here.

"How can I help you, miss?" Brennan thought her heart had been destroyed moments before, but having Booth call her anything but Bones made her heart crumble into more pieces. He didn't even know her well enough to call her Dr. Brennan.

"I, uh… Does the name Max Keenan mean anything to you?" Her eyes fell from his. The normally articulate Dr. Temperance Brennan had stumbled and then asked a question she could have answered. She had only chosen to ask about her father because he was a criminal and it was much more likely for Booth to have her of him than her.

"Not really. Should it?" Brennan could almost feel his gaze digging into her. She wondered how she had somehow been reduced to feeling like a small child.

"No, I guess not… I just… I thought you'd be able to help me," Brennan said as she began to get up. Booth immediate stood up with her.

"I might be able to, but you're going to have to be more specific. What's going on?" His voice was caring and concerned. It sounded just like her Booth did every time he had comforted her over the years when she had been scared and he held her. He had always been there for her until she pushed him too far away. But she had never been this far away from him. He had always known who she was and how to calm her down.

Except now.

Brennan felt tears begin to pond in her eyes. She needed to get out of his office; she couldn't cry in front of him when she didn't know this Booth. She rarely showed him this side of her anyway.

"You won't understand. I- I should go. Thank you for your time, Agent Booth."

She was about to leave when she felt him lightly grab her wrist. She turned back around to demand that he let go of her, but the look in his eyes showed worry.

"Please, miss. I want to help you; I really do. But you need to trust me."

She stared into the warm chocolate pools that she knew all too well and saw her Booth staring back at her. "I do trust you," she almost whispered.

"Okay, then you need to tell me why you're here. Does it have to do with this Max Keenan guy?"

"In a way. Max is my father. When I was fifteen, he and my mother abandoned my brother and me. I've spent the past twenty years aware of this..." She paused until he nodded to indicate she should continue. "But today when I talked to my brother, he told me that our parents disappeared when I was three."

"So, someone claimed to be your parents for twelve years?" Booth asked trying to understand what his part in it was.

She shook her head. "No. My parents were who they said they were. Well, in relation to me, and I believe both me and my brother are sane. Which is why there is a problem… Does the name Temperance Brennan mean anything to you?"

"No, why?"

"No reason," she managed to choke out. She didn't know where to go from here. She tried to stop the pools in her eyes from leaking down her face. "I was just curious."

"Listen," he told her. "Have you and your brother always had these different versions?"

Brennan stayed quiet for a moment. She had not planned on telling Booth about this unless he knew who she was; but when he asked for her to trust him, all this information just flowed out of her. Just as if she had been talking to her true best friend, and not some other version of him. But now she would either seem to be crazy, overly emotional, or both.

"Yes." It was a lie, and it was the first self-serving lie she had told Booth.

"So, you want me to look it up in the official record?"

She could only nod. This was not his job; he found murderers. He didn't go digging through files for a piece of information that won't help anyone. It was something anyone could do. But Booth was always one to help, especially a damsel in distress. It was one of his alpha- male qualities. He could probably be spending his time doing something more productive.

"You know, if you ever need to find something like this, you don't actually need to come to the FBI. There are files open to the public for this type of thing," he told her, as began searching through different files.

"I know," she sighed without thinking. But once the words were hanging in the air, both heads shot up.

"Then why are you here?" his gaze had switched from the one he used with the victim's family to the one he reserved for the suspects. And Brennan quickly found herself not wanting to be on the receiving end of it. It was so intense; Brennan didn't know how so many suspects withstand it.

"I… I needed to see if you remembered me," she admitted, feeling even more foolish than before. Why was actually telling him this? _Because you could never lie or hurt any version of Booth,_ a small voice reminded her.

The look changed again; this time to a confused glance. "Have we met before… Temperance?"

"Yes. But you don't have any recollection of it." _It seems as though I'm the only one who does_, she silently added.

"Well, wait a second. Tell me something about it. Was it back in high school? Because I was an idiot back then so-"

"No," she cut him off. "We met seven years ago."

Brennan watched as Booth struggled to find any memory of her. Maybe there was still hope. If he could remember anything about their relationship, any small part of it, then she wouldn't be alone. If she and Booth would continue to have each other's backs.

After several moments, he just shook his head. "I'm sorry; are you sure it was me?"

Brennan's pools of tear returned, but she refused to let them fall in the middle of the FBI building. "Maybe not. Sorry for wasting your time."

He had promised to never let her fall. Never to betray her. She knew that her Booth never would, but the copy of him in the office had just done both, and she felt her heart crushing.

She didn't even allow Booth a chance to respond before rushing out of the room. She didn't know where she was going, but she had to get out of the building. She needed space from the emotional trauma. So, she ran. She ran so fast, that she didn't even have time to wait for the elevator.

* * *

**Okay, what did you guys think? Was it too OOC? **

**I'll try to have to have the next chapter up Thursday. **


	7. Chapter 7

**So, I want to thank everyone for the reviews. I know a lot of you were expecting Booth to remember her, but since when has Brennan ever had anything that easy? But I promise a fairly happy ending. :)**

**And I'm sorry this is a fairly short chapter. But I'll update tomorrow as an apology. **

**Anyway, I don't own Bones. It belongs to the producers and writers.

* * *

**

Brennan ran straight to her car, not even bothering to think about how many agents had seen her tear-filled flee from the building. It was not like any of them knew who she was, anyway. She just got in her car and drove off, not quite sure where she was going. She drove around letting the salty droplets fall to her lap as she went.

On habit she fled first to the lab, only to remember how it was no longer her sanctuary. That the friends who she thought would almost always being willing to help her, no longer knew she was. She continued her pattern by moving towards her other comfort zone, until she realized that it was Booth she was running from. She immediately set out for her own apartment, needing a place to fall apart.

But when she pulled up into in her complex's parking lot, she saw that people were moving within her home and there was an apartment available for rent. She let out a deep sigh; that would explain why her alarm had not gone off that morning and her apartment seemed different. It belong to this universe, not hers. It also meant she had nowhere to go. At least, not while the apartment was showing. She might be able to sneak into it later.

Brennan decided to go somewhere else, and as if she was a plane on autopilot she drove towards the park, hoping that she would be able to control the tears by then. She couldn't.

But it did give her a chance to walk around some. And though tears were still dripping from her face, it was not as extreme as it had been right after she left the Hoover building.

She wandered aimlessly through the park that she so often ran through, let her thoughts envelop her._ This is why I don't let many people in; no matter how wonderful they are, they can always hurt you. When you love someone, you open yourself up to suffering. That's the sad truth. I've known that for years. They leave you. First Mom and Dad, and then Russ. Now, everyone else seems to have forgotten me. Maybe it's better this way. I can be completely independent again. Become impenetrable again._

_Oh come on, Tempe, stop it! You're stronger than this. These people aren't your friends. They are some imitation of them that exist in an alternate universe- a theory I now put a lot of credence in. Dad, Russ, Sweets, Cam, Hodgins, Angela, Booth, they won't forget you. Whatever is going on in reality- your reality, they are all probably worried about you. Booth probably has the entire bureau on high alert looking for any signs of you. _

_But they won't find me. They might find Joy Keenan; that would be a shock to everybody. _

_I need to stop all of this self-pity! I created a name for myself before; I can do it again. And this time I have the experience to do it. I know which choices to make and which ones to turn down. And Cam said that I could replace Michael at the lab. It would be just like I'm used to. It will be the same._

_Who am I kidding? No it won't. We won't be the same people. We won't be a family. The tragedies and joys that have brought us closer over the past seven years aren't there anymore. It would be artificial. I could try to believe that these were the people I cared for, but with seven years of alternative memories, they are different people._

Brennan finally gave up on walking through her problems and sat down, clearing the last remaining trails of the cascades of tears that had stopped. She knew rationally that she had to accept that she lost everyone she cared about. They weren't the same people; and they either had different memories than she or none of her whatsoever. She had to accept it; she had to compartmentalize. But for the first time since she was a child, she couldn't do that. And then she realized that she was going to have to move on from her friends. It was hard enough moving on from one of them; how was she supposed to do it for all of them? The teardrops she had fought so hard to get rid of began to return.

She was so lost in her own little word that she didn't notice the person coming up to her until he put his arms around. His voice brought comfort as he said, "Don't cry, Bones. It will be okay. I promise."

* * *

**Have I mentioned I like ending chapters with cliffhangers? Please don't kill me for it...**

**But what did you guys think of the story?**


	8. Chapter 8

**As promised, the next chapter. This chapter is not seen through Brennan eyes, but the mystery voices. Which by the way, I'm surprised no one guessed who it was. I mean, you all had the right family, just the wrong Booth. Anyway...**

**I don't own Bones; its the producers and writers.**

**Oh and this chapter is a little longer than usual. :)**

* * *

It had been a weird day.

It had started out normal enough. He had woken up in his own bed by his alarm. He had gotten ready for school. His mom and Brett had left early for some trip that they had been planning on for forever, and he was supposed to ride the bus to school this morning. He grabbed the money his mom left for him in case of an emergency before going to the bus stop.

He got to school and went to class, like always. And that's when everything just got weird. They got back a science quiz that he knew he had aced. Except, the grade on it was a C. He looked at the answers and wondered if someone had switched his paper with their own, because those were _not_ the answers he put down. He had spent too much time at the lab and with Bones to miss these things. So, he went and asked his teacher about it, because it wasn't like he him to have such a low science score. At least that's what he thought. His teacher basically told him that it was about the same score he got every time. And when he went to show her otherwise, all of his science stuff had a really different score then he remembered. He wandered if it was one of his friends playing a joke on him, but it didn't look like any of their handwriting. So, Parker decided to ask his dad, mom, Brett, and Bones about it.

And then, when recess came, he went to go play with his friends. It only took them a few minutes to decide to play cops. Immediately, the two 'bad guys' ran off leaving four 'good guys'. Perfect, because then they all had a partner. At least until, Ronnie Baker sighed, "I guess I'll be a bad guy too."

"You don't have to be a bad guy. We can all have partners."

All three sets of eyes turned to look at him as though he had gone crazy. "Parker, are you saying that you'll have a partner?" Will van de Kamp asked in complete shock.

"Well, yeah. Duh. Why are you guys all acting so surprised?" It wasn't like he never had a partner for this game. He was the one who told them about how real police had partners.

"Come on," Alex Boyd told him. "You're always going on about how your dad doesn't have a partner, so you aren't either."

"What are you talking about? My dad has a partner."

"Since when?" Ronnie shot back.

"For forever!"

"You know if you wanted me to stay on your side, all you had to do was ask. You didn't have to make stuff up," Ronnie told him.

"I'm not lying!"

"Guys, does it really matter? If we argue about this for too long then we won't be able to catch Danny and John before recess is over," Will pointed out. And with that the fight was forgotten by all except Parker.

The afternoon went by pretty normally. And as school ended, Alex reminded Parker that his older brothers were taking them to the park until Parker's dad could come pick him up. So, once school was over, Alex's brothers, Andy and Ryan, came to get them. Andy was fourteen and Ryan was a seventeen year old with his license.

Once they reached the park, the boys quickly decided to go play basketball. The teams were decided pretty quickly, Andy and Parker verses Alex and Ryan (since Alex wasn't quiet as athletic as Parker). They had been playing for a little over an hour when Andy stopped causing the game to halt since he was in possession of the ball.

"Dude, there's some hot lady crying."

"Where?" Ryan asked, lowering his hand from the defensive pose they had been in and began to scan over the park. Andy nodded his head over towards a bench on the running path. All three heads turned to see the woman. And Parker thought his eyes were playing tricks on him; because Bones didn't cry- at least not like this. There had been times when Parker had seen her cry from laughing so hard at something he or his dad did, but not because she was sad.

"Should we go talk to her? See if we can help?" Alex asked.

His older brothers shrugged. "She probably just wants to be alone," Ryan told him.

But Parker didn't buy it. Bones would have gone home or to his dad unless something was really wrong. So, as his friend and his older brothers began discussing what they should do, Parker headed towards his dad's best friend. He was about half way there when Andy called at him.

"Parker, stop! You don't know her!"

"Yes, I do!" he yelled back, though he never stopped moving towards Bones.

He sat down next to her hoping she would say something, but instead she just continued to cry. Parker could only stand it for a few seconds before leaning over and hugging the woman who was like a second mother to him. "Don't cry, Bones. It will be okay. I promise."

* * *

Parker felt her stiffen in his arms. She opened her eyes and stared at him. "Parker?" she asked hesitantly.

"Yeah?"

"What are you doing here?"

"Waiting for my dad to come pick me up. Mom's out of town for the weekend. Why are you crying, Bones?" Parker swore he saw a smile through her tears as she finally hugged him back.

"It's nothing." Parker knew she was lying the second the words escaped her lips.

"You never cry though, so it's obviously got to be something pretty big."

"You know, you're a lot like your father."

"Don't change the subject," Parker told her, though he was grateful for the compliment. "I wanna know why you're crying."

"It's complicated."

"I'll try to understand," he said somewhere between a childish plea and grown up promise.

"I know you would. In fact, you'd probably understand it better than anyone else I know."

"Then why don't you tell me? It will probably make you feel better. It always helps me when I talk to somebody." Bones let out an audible sigh and then was quiet for a moment. "Come on, Bones. You know I'm good at keeping secrets."

"Yes, you are. It's just… complicated. I don't even understand it."

"So, it's not one of those, you'll understand more when you're older type things?"

"No. Definitely not," she almost laughed.

"Parker!" the voice made both the boy and woman aware of their surroundings. And they both recognized it immediately. Jogging towards them was Booth looking slightly concerned.

"Maybe if you explain it to my dad!" Parker suggested excitedly. Ever since Hannah had gone away, Parker hoped that Bones and his dad would get back together. (Because they had been together, despite what his dad said.) But he noticed that she was beginning to stand up to leave. "Where are you going?"

"I should go. I don't want to interfere with your father/son time." And then it clicked for Parker that his dad was what was making Bones cry. That's why she didn't want to see or talk to him.

However, before he could ask his dad was standing in front of them. "Hey, are you ready to go, bud?"

Parker was surprised that sitting next to him was a crying Bones, and his dad didn't even seem fazed by it. Bones, however, took the opportunity to leave.

"I'll go," she said quietly.

"Yeah, I think you should." Parker looked at his dad in confusion. His dad sounded really mad.

"Bye, Parker. Agent Booth." _Agent Booth?_ Parker was stumped. Since when did Bones call his dad Agent anything? It was always just Booth. Something was really wrong here.

Once Bones was a few yards away, the father turned towards Parker. "What have I told you about talking to strangers?"

"What? When was I talking to a stranger?" Parker asked. He had learned his lesson a long time ago when that serial killer bought him ice cream. He didn't talk to anyone he didn't know, especially at the park.

"Do you know her?" Surprise was evident in Booth's voice as he sat down next to his son.

"Well, duh. It's Bones, Dad. I've known since I was four."

"Is she friends with your mom?"

Parker just stared at his dad. "Dad, that's not funny. Bones was crying, and you didn't say anything nice to her."

"Parker, I don't know her."

The child just sat there, looking at his father. Since when didn't his dad know Bones? They were best friends! His dad was acting even weirder than his friends. Bones and his dad; they were partners and always would be in his Parker's eyes. So it really concerned him that he had to explain who she was to his dad. Actually, it kind of scared him. How could his dad forget Bones?

"Dad, did you hit your head?"

"No, why?"

"Is your brain tumor back?" Maybe it was messing with his dad's memory.

"My what? Parks, I've never had a brain tumor. Who told you I did?"

"You did!" Parker practically yelled. Okay, his dad had forgotten Bones (which was a sin within itself) but also the fact he had a brain tumor a few years ago? That was impossible. Parker knew that whoever this guy was, it wasn't his dad. He began to move away from the man who looked identical to his father. This guy could be like that Epps guy from when he was a little kid. Though this guy had a lot more skill in disguises.

"No, I didn't."

"No, you didn't," Parker agreed before jumping up and running away.

"Parker!" It sounded like his father calling after him, but it wasn't. It was some stranger. And he wasn't supposed to talk to strangers.

He ran as fast as he could towards the road. He lucked out in the fact that someone was exiting a taxi as he came up to the street. He hopped in and pulled out the money his mom had left him. It was only ten dollars, but it was all he had. He handed it to the driver and told him Bones' address.

"This won't get you all the way there," the cabbie told him.

"Then take me as far as you can in that direction!" the boy commanded as he saw his father's doppelganger coming up towards the car. "Please."

And with an iron foot, the taxi began to go towards Bones' address.

* * *

**Okay, so first, anyone surprised about Parker?**

**Also, one of Parker's friends is from a different show. Bunch of bonus points (that don't add up to anything) to anyone who can place the character and show. (If you want a hint, Booth alluded to the show in the pilot episode...)**


	9. Chapter 9

**I don't own Bones. I'm just borrowing the characters like everyone one else on this website.**

* * *

Brennan didn't know what possessed her to go to her apartment, but that's where she drove. And she was relieved to see that the open house for it was over. She grabbed the key she had for it on her key chain and unlocked the door, entering on the apartment that should be her home.

But her mind wasn't on the apartment; no, it was on a little blond boy who remembered her. Parker Booth of all people remembered exactly who she was, and still seemed to be the same boy she had known for six years, even though everyone else (including his father) had no recollection of her. Part of her wondered if he had noticed anything off that day, or if until he had seen her crying he had thought it to be like every other Friday. And why had remembered when no one else had? It wasn't as if she had seen him a great deal lately, especially without Booth around.

These thoughts had been continuously on her mind since she walked away from Parker and Booth at the park. She had seen the concern and hurt in Parker's eyes as she left quickly, but she had also noticed the confusion and distrust in Booth's eyes when they made eye contact and quickly understood it. Booth had always been very protective of Parker, and he no longer knew her as anything but the slightly delusional woman. He wouldn't want to expose Parker to someone like that; so she left. She would never purposefully put a strain on Booth's relationship with his son, no matter what was going on between them.

She had only been in the apartment for about five minutes when she heard a pounding on the door. She was quickly moved away from the window and quietly sat sit, afraid that it was the complex manager asking her to leave or the cops coming to arrest her, since this technically wasn't her apartment anymore. And though being arrested would get her a name for herself, it was not the type of name she wanted. She heard the knocking again, but this time it was accompanied by a voice.

"Bones, open up! It's me, Parker!" Brennan rushed to the door and opened it to find Parker standing there. As soon as the door was open he rushed into the room.

"Parker, what's wrong? Are you okay?"

"My dad is missing!"

Panic immediately began to overtake Brennan. She asked concerned, "Parker, you were with him at the park. How can he be missing?"

"That guy wasn't my dad!" Parker said with conviction. "He didn't know who you were! He told me I wasn't supposed to talk to strangers because I was talking to you! My dad couldn't forget you!"

She simply sighed. How was she supposed to explain this to a ten year old when she didn't even understand it? "Parker, that man was Seeley Booth."

Parker turned and stared at her with wide eyes. "How can you say that?" he gasped. "Dad didn't say anything about you crying. Does that sound like him? Or the fact he didn't think he had ever had a brain tumor! Bones, my dad doesn't forget important things. You know that!"

"I know," Brennan said in her most soothing voice. "But things are different here. You're dad and I don't work together."

"Why not?" Parker demanded. "You love working with him! You told me that!"

"I do. But here, I've never worked with him. I'm not even sure I live here," she admitted. "Do you know what alternate reality is?"

Parker cocked his a little. "Kinda. Why? You think this is that? That doesn't sound like you Bones."

"It's the only possibility I can think of."

"Well, then how do we get back? Because I don't like it here."

"I don't know. But Parker, that man was your dad; and he will care about you no matter what. So he's probably worried sick about you right now. You should stay with him until we can find a way to get back to what we consider reality. Come on, I'll take you to your dad's."

"No," Parker told her as he sat on the couch that Brennan had never seen before with his arms crossed.

"No?" she repeated.

"I'm not leaving you alone. You and I remember the same past; my dad and friends don't. And I'm guessing that since you were crying in the park, the squints don't remember either." Brennan couldn't help but notice the leap that Parker had made was like those his father made on a daily basis. Except unlike with Booth, Brennan couldn't reprimand the child for making suppositions without actual evidence. Especially since he was right.

"That is a fair assumption."

"See, so we need to have each other's backs. Because otherwise I might go insane," Parker told her with a completely straight face. "I was already going crazy today!"

"You will not go insane after one day," she informed the young boy. "But I will always be here for you; though you really should go back to your dad."

"No. Not until I'm sure you're okay. You need to have people around you who care about you. People who know when you're alright and when you're not. And right now, it sounds like that's me."

Brennan didn't know how to react, so she just went up to the boy and hugged him tightly. She cared about Parker a lot, and he was absolutely right. She needed someone who cared about her (not Joy Keenan but Temperance Brennan) and the only one who did right now was the ten year old in her arms.

"Thank you, Parker."

"Can I stay with you?" he asked after a few moments. Brennan froze. She wanted nothing more than tell him yes and let him stay with her; however, she also knew how much that would devastate his father. She couldn't do that to any form of Booth. She had decided to say he couldn't but then she looked at the big, brown, pleading eyes of Parker, and she knew that she couldn't say no. But one more thought about her partner and she couldn't say yes either.

"Please…" he almost begged.

"Only for tonight," she told him with a sigh. Parker's arm gripped around her a little more tightly.

"And tomorrow, too?"

"We may discuss it, if you'll go talk to your father tomorrow."

Parker's brow furrowed. "So, if I won't talk to dad what are you going to go with me?"

Brennan realized that she had (for once) not thought something all the way through. She hesitated before answering, "I'll call your mother and tell her you were lost and are asking for assistance."

"But she'll just call that version of my dad, and I'd still have to talk to him."

"Yes," Brennan agreed, "but if you do it my way, then there is a chance that you might not have to stay with him."

"That's sneaky, Bones."

"Does that mean you'll agree?"

"It's kind of my only option," he grumbled. Brennan couldn't help but smirk; he was sulking like Booth did. Brennan wasn't sure when, but at some point over the past several months or years, Parker had become a miniature version of his father.

They sat on the couch after that watching the television which luckily at least had a couple of channels to chose from- including Parker's favorite. So, Brennan quickly learned about several superheroes and, as Parker put it, 'why they're so awesome!'. By six o'clock both stomachs were growling, so they ran out to get dinner and brought it back to the apartment and to Parker's delight, found his favorite show still on. So they sat there and watched this fictitious show.

By nine-thirty, Brennan had watched enough episodes of this Super Hero Squad show to understand it. Parker had curled up to her a couple of hours ago and was now snoring into her. She was holding him close, as a mother would a child. She did change the television station to a historical documentary, and sometime before the program finished, Brennan too had drifted to sleep.

* * *

**Okay, so there's one more chapter after this. And it will be up sometime this week.**


	10. Chapter 10

**Hi, everyone. So I know you probably don't care I changed my pen-name to Animus et Anima, but the meaning behind it is Bones related (at least in my head). Because one way that it can be translated is "Mind and Heart" which are B&B. And the words are so similar, it kind of reminded me of Gordon Gordon's thing about how while B&B are different in some ways, they are also very, _very_ much alike. Anyway, that's my rant for this chapter. :)**

**I own Bones. And pigs fly. (If you believe either of those statements, please go get your head checked).**

* * *

Brennan woke up to a noise right outside of her apartment door. It sounded like two people having an argument, though Brennan's hazy mind couldn't identify the two voices. Suddenly, the thought occurred to her that it could be her landlord or the local police coming to take her away from the apartment she was in. She couldn't let that happen, especially with Parker's head in her lap. Nothing could happen to Parker.

She knew he needed to sleep, but she also wanted to get in into one of the bedrooms so that he could be hidden away from whoever was outside of her door. Unfortunately he was also a ten year old boy who was much too big for her to carry. She felt a blanket against her back and quickly pulled it over Parker so he could not be seen. She grabbed her orange pillow from beside her and quickly placed in under the sleeping boy's head before removing herself from under him.

She went to the door and leaned against, attempting to listen to the still arguing men's conversation.

"Look, it's three in the morning and you're trying to get into one of my apartments. That looks suspicious, so I'm calling the cops!" Brennan now recognized the voice as her landlord.

"I am the cops! Look, here's my FBI badge. Give me an hour and I'll be gone. I'm just looking for someone." _Booth_. She immediately knew it was him. She snuck a look at the boy across the room. He had told her about how he ran from his father and taken a taxi to her apartment. It appeared Booth had found the driver and received the address from him. This was going to be difficult to explain.

"Fine." Brennan sighed; her last hope was for her landlord to deny him access without a warrant.

So, when Brennan heard the key slide into the door, she pushed against the door with all of her might. She was not going to break her promise to Parker easily. She told him that he could stay with her the night and she intended on keeping it that way. She felt a small push against the frame of her body as someone tried to enter.

"The door is jammed," Booth sighed. "Have you seen anyone suspicious come in or out?"

"Besides you?"

Booth did not answer the landlord, and decided instead to push even hard against the door causing a loud thud. Brennan looked over at Parker to see that he was still sleeping. However, she relaxed her body from the door for a moment to do so, in which Booth tried again to open the door. And this time he succeeded.

Brennan was pushed behind the door, shoving her against the wall. She was thankful that it was not with enough force to actually cause her harm, just make her uncomfortable. It also did not obstruct her view of Booth, who was just barely in her line of vision.

She watched as he surveyed the room. _He's probably looking for signs of Parker,_ Brennan told herself. She then saw him stop and stare at where Parker was hidden beneath the blanked.

He moved so fast towards Parker, Brennan wasn't sure how he managed so much momentum in the small area. He dropped to his knees as soon as he was at the couch, and Brennan could barely hear him whispering, "Please, no. Be alright. Please, God, be alright." He slowly pulled back the blanket and found Parker.

Brennan expected him to calm down in relief, but instead he straightened his back, as though it was unexpected. However, he did begin to grab his son into his arms and holding him close.

"Bones…" Parker murmured just loud enough for her to hear.

"No, Parker, it's me. It's Dad. Everything's okay, now," Booth soothed. Although, Parker didn't take it as such. His eyes shot open and he immediately tried to wiggle out of his father's grasp. But Booth just held onto him tighter.

"No! Get away from me!"

"Parker, it's me! Calm down! Everything's going to be fine."

"No! You aren't my dad!" Parker was practically shooting venom at his father, as he managed to get out of Booth's arms.

"It's me Parker. It's me. I swear."

Parker stopped and intensely stared at the agent with mistrust in his young eyes. "If you say so."

"I wouldn't lie to you, bud."

"My dad doesn't lie."

"Exactly, I just said that. Maybe we should get you to a hospital to make sure you are alright."

"No. I'm not leaving Bones."

"You were with Bones?" Booth asked, clearly surprised.

"Yeah. By choice!" Brennan couldn't help but smile at Parker's words. He was almost as protective of her as his father was.

"Wait; do you know where she is?" Booth asked in a hurried voice.

"Why? So you can arrest her or something? I'm not telling you!" Maybe he was as protective of her as his father.

"Bud, listen you and Bones have been missing all day. I just want to make sure she's okay!" Booth swore.

It was only then that Brennan realized that this conversation was happening in _her_ living room. Not the one where she and Parker had fallen asleep. There was no television, but enough artifacts to fill a museum. Somehow, she and Parker had found their way back, and sitting before her was Booth. Her Booth.

"How do I know it's really you and not the other reality you?" Parker asked, apparently still not convinced.

"The other what me?" Booth asked. "Did you hit your head?"

"No. Did you have a brain tumor?" Parker shot back.

"Not since the last one."

"Which was when?" Brennan couldn't help but smile at Parker's test. He really was making sure it was Booth. And Brennan found it fairly amusing to watch Booth's reaction.

"A few years."

"Be more specific."

"Parker," Booth sighed. But the boy didn't budge, and only began to study his father. "Um, May of '09."

Parker smiled and then hugged his father. "It really is you!"

"Yeah, I told that," he laughed.

"Well, the other you told me he was my dad too!"

"I think you're mixing up your dream and reality," Booth tried to persuade his son. "Why don't you go lay back down on the couch and I'm going to go look in Bones' room to see if she's in there."

Brennan watched as panic took over the younger Booth's face. "Dad, what if she's still stuck there?"

"Where?"

"Pay attention! The other reality!"

"Let's check this one first before running to another dimension. I'll be back in a few minutes. Try and get some more sleep." Booth kissed Parker's temple before heading back towards Brennan's bedroom. And the anthropologist waited until Parker turned his back to her to follow Booth.

She walked in on him muttering under his breath. "Damn it, Bones. Where the hell are you?"

"Did you check behind the door you forced opened?" she questioned him.

Brennan wasn't sure if she ever saw Booth's head snap around as fast as it did in that moment. He didn't answer her, instead just rushed over to her and gathered her in his arms. Her instinctively wrapped around him, as well.

"Thank God, you're okay," he whispered into her hair. They stood like that for a minute, before Booth pulled back. "Where the hell have you been? The squints and I were worried! And then Parker was missing too, and I thought you'd both been kidnapped! And there was no sign of you anywhere, and no one would let me file a missing person report because you hadn't been gone long enough. And then-"

"Booth, you need to breath," she commanded, with a hint of laughter in her voice.

"I need to breathe? Bones, no one has heard from you in over twenty-four hours! I think I'm allowed to freak out a little!"

Bones couldn't help but smile. This was the Booth she had needed twelve hours ago.

"I know. But I'm okay. Parker's okay," she answered simply. Booth just pulled her back into his arms.

"I know that _now_. But I've been worried for the past twenty-fours," he told her softly. "I was scared, really scared. I got a call from Angela this morning saying you weren't at the lab or answering any of your phones. She was worried about you and she had already come and raided your apartment. No one had seen you since you left the lab at _eleven-thirty_ last night and Washington isn't exactly the safest place at night. And then in the afternoon, when I'm already stressed about you missing, I got a call from Becca saying Parker was gone too. That the school had called her saying he never showed up at school. I thought you both had been kidnapped or something. It scared the shit out of me. So having both of you show up in your apartment is kind of a mini-miracle. And yes, Bones, this is a miracle."

Brennan just wrapped around Booth as he spoke. He had been scared, and she hadn't been there for him. He had once told her that he would hug her when he was scared, and that exactly what he was doing.

"I'm sorry. You know I would never willingly put you through that."

"Seriously, where have you been?"

"In Washington."

"Then why the hell didn't you answer your phone."

Brennan bit her lip. He hadn't believed Parker when he had told him, but maybe if she matched Parker story he would trust them. That or think they had both lost it. She took the gamble. "I did. It only rang once."

"I know I called you a minimum of twenty times. And who knows about all the squints."

"My brother called me."

Booth's brow furrowed. "So, you only got Russ' call?"

"Kyle's," she corrected.

"But you just said… Who's Kyle?" Brennan swore she heard jealousy in Booth's voice.

"Kyle Keenan." She watched as he tried to understand.

"That was Russ' birth name."

"And in the reality Parker and I were in, that was still his name."

A couple beats of silence passed. "I don't get it, Bones."

"We were in a reality where my parents abandoned Russ and me instead of changing our names when I was three." From there Brennan proceeded to explain the events of her past day. She kept waiting for Booth to interrupt her and ask her if she had gone insane, but he just sat there and listened to her. She decided to keep back the amount of pain she felt as the alternative version of him said that he didn't know who she was, instead treating it just as she did when Angela, Cam, and Hodgins were oblivious of her identity. And sometime during the story, they had both sat down on the edge of her bed, and her left hand had become entangled with Booth's right. But she never made eye contact with him; she knew she should, but she didn't want to see the doubting look that she was sure would be in his eyes.

"… And Parker and I fell asleep on the couch. I woke up when you and my landlord began arguing."

She sat patiently quiet for him to say something. Anything really. But he seemed to be deep in thought. _Probably trying to figure out how to convince to go stay with Zack or ask how long I've been having these strange delusions,_ she thought quietly to herself.

After several more deadly silent minutes past, Brennan found that she could no longer take it. "Booth, please say something."

"I don't know what to say. If it were any two other people, I'd ask them what drugs they had been using. But it's you and Parker. He's too young to even know how to get a hold of drugs, and you wouldn't do anything that would affect that big brain of yours. But you don't believe in alternate realities and that type of stuff. Or you didn't…"

"I know find that they are much more plausible," she agreed. "And if Parker didn't have a similar experience as me, then I would be checking myself into McKinley Psychiatric Hospital."

"But he probably did considering he thought as I was the other me."

"He wasn't another you," Brennan told him.

"Bones, you even said he was another version of me."

"Yes, he was another version of Special Agent Seeley Booth. But he was not another you."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean," she sighed, "as Parker pointed out multiple times, you couldn't forget me or not know me. That man who you could have became if we had never met wasn't the man sitting before me now. He still thought of squints as side-kicks, not partners. He's probably not served in the army for over fifteen years or come to terms with Jared. He hasn't been through heartbreak three times. He's never had to fake his death or arrest his partner's father. But you're a stronger version of him. You've dealt with the worst parts of humanity and still are the man you were before. You're the one who will never let me fall while he just continued to push me towards the edge. He's not the same you because he doesn't have the same memories you do."

"I'm only who I am because of you though."

"And I've changed because of our relationship, too."

Brennan felt the bed she was sitting on shift beneath her as Booth took his free hand and placed it under her chin. He guided her face towards his with a steady yet gentle hand until they were staring into each other's eyes. "We've both changed a lot in the past seven years. And I know you've definitely made me a better person."

Brennan sat there drowning in chocolate pools. She waited for him to either lean forward showing her that he was done waiting and that he was no longer angry or pull back indicating that they were still just partners and friends. The past twenty-four hours had shown her that her impenetrableness had all but fallen around Booth. She was ready. The question is, was he?

* * *

**Okay, so originally this was supposed to be the last chapter, but I'm pretty sure that you all would kill me if I left the story on a cliff hanger. So, you'll get an epilogue in a few days. :)**

**Also, reviews are always welcomed! **


	11. Epilogue

**Epilogue time! Almost.**

**First of all, I'd like to say thank you all for reading (and some of you for reviewing). I didn't know how well people would like this story, so I'm happy that most of the reviews I've received have been saying that people like the story. I'm also sorry if I've confused anybody. If you're still confused after the epilogue, let me know and I'll try to clear things up.**

**Hope you guys enjoy this last section!**

**Oh and I don't own Bones, blah, blah, you guys know the rest of that statement.**

* * *

Several days passed after that night and Brennan felt like she had retold the events of that day hundreds of times, though it was probably closer to a total of ten. None of the other squints, her father, or Russ seemed to know what to make of the story (that was evident from the stunned silence after each telling), but not one of them questioned her state of mind. Though Angela did say that Avalon might be able to explain it which Brennan could only answer with a quiet scoff.

And according to Booth, Parker had been telling just as many people his version of the day. So far, Booth and Rebecca had been told to by Parker's teacher, principle, and friends' parents that their son might be crying out for attention. Rebecca was listening and showering Parker with more attention than any ten year old boy really wanted from his mother; Booth was not heeding the words, however. He was still spending as much time with Parker as he could- but he always did that. Unlike like his ex, he continued to treat his son like normal. If Parker didn't already prefer spending time with his dad, he did now. Especially since a majority of the time they spent with Bones.

But even with this time together, Brennan couldn't figure out what she and Parker had been exposed to that everyone else had been immune. At least until Brennan was passing the pool in her building. She had done this everyday when she was going to work and returning home, but today, there were men with hazmat walking around the pool. The anthropologist of course marched over to a man in a suit standing just outside of the pool area.

"What's going on?" she demanded.

"An odd contaminate was found in large quantities in the chemicals produced by the manufactures of the pool chemicals. They've been some weird side effects. We're just testing to see if your pool is infected."

"What kind of side effects."

"People have gone missing and shown up a couple days later. All of them have been kinda delusional. Why? Do you know someone who's have strange symptoms?" the man in a suit asked. Brennan briefly considered telling him that she and her partner's son had been exposed, but then realized that they would want to take her and Parker to the hospital when they were both showing no other signs of mental, physical, or emotional imbalance.

"No," she decided. "I was curious what to tell my partner to look for in his son. He came swimming last week while his father and I finished up some paperwork." Of course, she joined Parker when he asked her to, and Booth said he could finish up by himself. That must have been when they were exposed to the contaminated water. It probably did not help that both she and Parker managed to accidentally inhale some water at different points during that evening.

"If it's been more than a week, and he's been acting normal, then he should be fine."

"It has," Brennan assured him. "Thank you for your time."

When Brennan told her team about this discovery, Hodgins about ran to his car to go get a sample of the water while Booth began making calls about how it had happened.

* * *

It was five days after the mysterious day that Angela and Cam decided to drag Brennan out of the lab for some needed (to quote Angela) girl time. Brennan had noticed that her friends trying very hard to spend time with her, and she suspected that it had something to do with her day out of reality. She didn't mind; in fact she had been enjoying all of her time with everyone.

The three female squints were laughing and talking about Hodgins' latest explosive experiment at the diner, when the door to the restaurant opened. The women were so caught up in their conversation that they didn't notice the anyone until Cam and Angela saw him standing behind Brennan, clearly waiting for her attention.

"Dr. Brennan," Cam said before nodding behind her. Brennan looked behind her, and the smile that had been plastered on her face fell. She had thought the other reality was the last time she'd have to see this man.

"Tempe, I thought that was you. I haven't seen you with bangs since you got out of college."

"Michael," she said shortly. She really didn't want deal with him.

"How've you been?"

"Fine. Do you need something? Or are you just trying to say hi?" It maybe irrational, but she was still perturbed by his accusations in court from years ago, and very much wanted to get back to her conversation with Angela and Cam. Angela had an inpatient face as she looked at Stires; Cam just had slightly confused look. It quickly occurred to Brennan that her boss had never met her old professor.

"I was just saying hi. I haven't seen you since the Schilling case."

"I remember."

"Would you be interesting in catching up some time? Maybe over dinner?"

"I don't think she's interested," a new voice entered the conversation.

"Hey, Booth."

"Agent Booth, it's good to see you again," Michael told him, sticking out his hand. Booth took it, and by the looks of it, began to squeeze it as hard as he could.

"Yeah, you, too. That seat taken, babe?" Brennan moved her purse which had been occupying the chair and he sat down. He was quick to put his arm around her shoulder which did not go unnoticed by anyone.

"Well, I should get going. I have a class in an hour. It was good seeing you, Tempe." And with that Michael walked out.

And the moment he was out of the door, Brennan looked toward the agent. "Don't call me babe. And that we were going to keep this quiet for a while so the bureau didn't find out."

"Come on; it's Cam and Angela. They won't rat us out to the FBI, will you?" Booth asked them.

Angela and Cam were suddenly speechless. How were they supposed to respond to the fact that Booth and Brennan had finally screwed their heads on straight? After a minute Angela finally could say something.

"What?"

Cam was quick to follow. "You two are together?"

The partners simply shared a grin, and that was all the answer needed.


End file.
